St Helens v Hull FC – Preview

Saints will look to press on with their charge towards semi-final qualification when they host Hull FC in a Betfred Super League Super 8s Round 2 meeting on Friday night (August 11, kick-off 8.00pm).

Justin Holbrook’s side climbed into the top four for the first time this season with a well earned 26-12 victory at Castleford Tigers last week. It was a second consecutive away success after having won only once away from home all season until the end of July. It leaves them within striking distance of this week’s opponents and with a better points difference any win in this one will take Saints above Lee Radford’s side.

Until the expected introduction of Ben Barba in September most of the Saints team picks itself. Jonny Lomax looks like being the one most under threat from Barba not because of his form which has been excellent in recent weeks, but because he just happens to have the misfortune to play in the same position as Barba. For now Lomax will continue at fullback with Tommy Makinson, Ryan Morgan, Mark Percival and Regan Grace making up the three-quarter line. Adam Swift again misses out on selection for the 19-man squad while Jake Spedding is included in place of Tommy Lee. That may or may not tell us something about Swift’s future although he did pen a new two-year deal earlier this year.

If there is a doubt about any position in the starting line-up it is at scrum half. Matty Smith came off the bench at Castleford to replace the injured Danny Richardson and was instrumental in Saints’ win, showing no ill effects from the ruptured eyelid that had kept him out for five weeks previously. Yet Richardson did nothing wrong before his exit just before half-time and may be given another opportunity to start alongside Theo Fages in the halves.

With Luke Douglas still missing with a knee injury there is a slightly makeshift look to Saints’ front row. Yet Luke Thompson was one of the pack’s best performers against Daryl Powell’s side while Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook also started at prop and let nobody down. Look for those two to start again with Alex Walmsley and Kyle Amor offering the impact off the bench. Hooker James Roby was the best player on the pitch at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle last time out and with Lee not selected will look to go the full 80 in this one. Zeb Taia and the resurgent Dominique Peyroux should start at second row with Jon Wilkin at loose forward. Morgan Knowles can cover all of that trio while Matty Lees will again look to make the jump from the initial 19-man squad to the matchday 17 for the first time.

Hull FC started their Super 8s campaign with a 32-18 win over Salford Red Devils last week. They will welcome back Marc Sneyd for this one as well as prop Josh Bowden, but the impressive Mark Miniciello misses out. It’s a squad packed with talent with Jamie Shaul, Mahe Fonua, Carlos Tuimavave, Albert Kelly and Sneyd in the backs and a formidable pack including Liam Watts, Scott Taylor, Gareth Ellis and Sika Manu. The black and whites may have one eye on the Challenge Cup final coming up in a fortnight but with top four qualification still not a certainty they’ll have to balance that with the need to pick up enough Super 8 wins to make sure they are in the shake-up at the end.

This will be a fourth meeting between the two of 2017 after Hull FC claimed a 24-10 win at the KCom in March which Saints answered with a crushing 45-0 demolition job at the Magic Weekend in Newcastle in May. Hull visited Saints in early July and were edged out 19-12 although in truth Saints were very good value for that success on the night. Something similar here will represent a huge step towards the top four spot that looked so unlikely just a few short weeks ago.

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I’d disagree on that - I think he looks better when he’s skimmed down and can use his speed, he loses that at Prop https://t.co/TsSq3phb3Xabout 17 hours ago

REDVEE UPDATE: Alex Yoxall contributes his first piece to Redvee, looking back on LMS’s career with the club to dat… https://t.co/lgjxk6YlhYabout 17 hours ago

Some great exposure for Womens Rugby League as @saints1890 Ladies half back @FayeGaskin helps to conduct the Challe… https://t.co/a77R9APaQ1about 19 hours ago

Be great if Salford could aim to pull in a few local fans before deciding to try to introduce the sport to New York… https://t.co/jN55L9jxPVabout 19 hours ago

@KawasakiCoops @WiganRLHistory @wiganrlfans Didn’t th home fixture at the DW get played later in the season?about 24 hours ago

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